Process of printing consecutive numbers



July 29. 1924. 1,503,375`- O. W, PENDERGAST PROCESS 0F PRINTINGcoNsEcU'iIvz NUMBER Filed Aug. 17', 192x 3 sheets-sheet l (-jDvErfnnWPenderga July 29'. 1924. 1,503,375

O. W. PENDERGAST PROCESS OF PRINTING CONSCUTIVE NUMBERS v Filed Aug.17,'1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 f1/1F 1 1 OO ll. OO O O 1l. Om m0 111 V m f 7m w July 29, 1924.

O.v W. PENDERGAST PROCESS OF PRINTING CONSECUTIVE NUMBERS 3 Sheets-Sheet3 Filed Aug. 17 i921 printing forms.

Patented July 29, i924. 'i

1,503,375 oFFIfCEf' OVERTON W', PENDERGAST, 0F TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA.

PROCESS OF PRINTING CONSECU'lll-llr NUMBERS'.

Application filed August 17, 1921. Serial No. 493,036.

To all whom t may concern: Y

Bt it known that I, OVERTON W.V PENDER- GAST, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Terre I-laute, in the county of Vigo and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processesof Printing Consecutive Numbers, of which the following is aspecification. l

This invention relates to the art of printing, and more particularly toa novel method of printing a plurality of consecutive numbers for usefor any purpose, such as shipping tags, shop tags, job tags, tabs, slipsor printed forms of any kind. i

The automatic machines now on the) market for printingv numbersconsecutively, cannot print in relatively large type owing to themechanical construction thereof, and

the cost. of printing numbers consecutively on'the ordinary type ofprinting press has been prohibitive, owing to the time and laborinvolved in setting up the different It is therefore ay primeV object ofthe invention to provide a novelinethod of printingnumbers consecutivelyof any size, or on (ordinary types *ofA press in an expeditious andeconomical manner, so that the cards, tags,

etc., being printed can be placed upon the market Vat reasonable cost,thereby permitting the use thereof by the trade. Y

` Afurther object of the invention` is the provision of a'novel means ofprinting consecutive numbers on tags or the like, consisting of taking asheet containing a number of cards or tags to be printed, say onehundred, and setting a form in the press for "printing the cards withnumbers consecutively, starting with 00 and ending with 99, adjacent theinner ends of the cards, leaving spaces forother digits `to be printedin front of the numbers previously printed, the sheets lbeing thenadapted to be run through the press again to allow the desired digits tobe stamped in front of the numbers printed.

A further object of the Vinvention is the provision of a novel'method ofhandling the sheets printed with the numerals running from zero to 999in order to permit cards having relatively high numbers to beeconomically, expeditiously printedthereon.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a novelmeansfor handling the sheets of cards tabs 4after being printed, and forcutting the sheets in order to facilitate the handling thereof, withoutnecessitatingthe `individual sorting of eachzcard Aor tab to place thecards in their correctv order.

`With these and other objects in view,the invention consists in thenovelconstruction,

arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter morespecifically described,

claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,.forminga partofthis specification, in which drawings: i y

Figure lis a plan viewrof one of the basic stock cards or sheets havingthe numerals printed on the tabs or tags contained in the sheetconsecutively starting with 00. and ending with 99. Y

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view ofv a series of the cards or sheets,showing the steps by whicha series ,of stock cards can Abe made, havingthe numerals thereon running upto 9799. Y y

FigureA 3 is a diagrammatic view ofv a series of the cards, showing amethod'pursued when the stockV cards'areto be printed with consecutivenumerals running into the thousandsV K VFigure l is a detail view,showing a furtherstep in the method of arranging one of the piles kofthe stock cards, when the same Yare to be printed with numerals runningup into the thousands.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic View showing one pack or series of the cardsprinted with the digit l in front of the numerals first printed, andformingva series of cards Ywith the numerals starting with' 100() andending with 1999.

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nate corresponding parts, the letter A. rindicates a basic stocksheet orcard used in my method. This sheet is clearly shown in Figure l of thedrawings, and is arranged to containa series of 100 cards or tabs. It ispreferable that the sheets be arranged Vto contain 100 of the cards ortabs, if the printing press-is large enough to accommodate a sheet ofthis size, and if the press'is not of llO lines and by a series ofperforated or one time.

otherwise formed longitudinal lines 6, which divide the sheets into thecards or tabs 7. These sheets A can be run through an ordinaryperforating machine, in order to divide the "sheet into cards or itcould be run through the press with press perforating l'rows set in sucha manner as to permit the tags to be readily separated from one anotherwhen the sheets will be cut into strips Aas-shoWn in Figure 6 of thedrawings, and which will be hereinafter more fully described. A form isthen set up in the press, so as to print a number in each of the cards7, starting with 00 and ending with r99, as clearly is shown in Figure lof the drawings. These numbers are designated by the nu meral 8. It canbe seen that these numbers are so disposed that other digits can beplaced in front thereof so as to malte cards of` higher denominations,when desirable. Thus these numbers S are arranged relatively'near theinner right hand sides of the cards. rlhe numerals can be printedconsecutively in transverse columns as shown inA Figure l of thedrawings, or consecutively in longitudinal rows. card or sheet thusformed. represents a stock sheet, and num` be'rofthese sheets areadapted te be carried o'n-.hand by the printer, and it is evident that anumber of these sheets, so printed, can be run off at one time. Itisevident that if the press is not large enough to print a sheetcontaining, a hundred tags or tabs 7, the same can be eut in half asstated, and numerals printed thereon starting with 0,0 and ending with49, and numerals printed on the other half starting with 50 and endingwith 99. If the press is not large enough to accommodate half sheets, a.sheet can be cut in fifths, one fth starting with O0 and ending` with19, vthe other 2O to 39; the other 40 to 59; the other (SO to 7 9; theother 8O to 99.

It is now desirable that these basic stock sheets be so arranged thata'series of the same can be formed and carried on hand` so that a numberof the series can be printed The series are to contain sets of tenreardseach, each card4 containing coin secutive numerals ruiming from OO to 99in the rst set; from 100 to 199 in the second setde'signated by B inFigure 2 of the drawings; the third set designated by the letterC'runnilng from 200 to 299; the fourth set designated by the letter Drunning from 300 to 399; the fth set designated by the letter E ruimingfrom 4-00 to 499; the sixth Set designated by the'letterF ruiming from50() to 599; the seventh set designated by the letter Gr running from600 to 699; the 8th set designated by the letter H running from 700 to799, the 9th set designated by the letter I running from 80() to 899;and the tenth set designated by the letter J running from 900 to 999. Aseries of cards thus formed or numbered represent a series of stockcards, which would be held in stock at all times by a printer andprinted on various shades and grades of paper in various manners so asto suit the individual f desires of the different persons anddiiferentbusinesses. t is to be seen that the basic Vstock carddesignated by the letter A is made'into the series B by having the pressset with the digit l, in order to printtlie digit l infront of thenumerals designated by the numeral 8. rllhis is clearly shown by thenumeral V9 in the series B. To form the series'C, the numeral 2 is setin a form of the press and a basic stock card A run through the press,in order that the digit 2r be printed in front of the numerals 8 asdesignated by the numeral 10. The series D is printed, by setting a formin the press, with thedigit- 3 so as to print the digit 3 as at 11infront. of each of the numerals 8 of the basic stoel;` cards. This iscontinued in each of the sets E, F, G, ri, and J using a digit ofhigherdenomination each time, in order to make the progressive series ofcards.

YV ith suclr a series of stock cards on hand, when a printer receives anorder, say for a series of cards ruiming into the thousands, he caneasily fir: other digits in front of the numerals of a series of cardsA, B, C, D, E,

F, Gr, H, I, and J, in order'to forma series of cards with the numeralsof higher denomination. It is desirable that the cards be eut intostrips designated by the letter L in Figure 6 of the drawings, and thesestrips can be readily bound into a book` if so desired, and each ef thecards 7 are, as stated, divided by a row of perforations 6 and can bereadily torn apart. lf the cards are formed in strips L, it will be seenthat one hundred different lot strips will be made,

one lot containing cards numbered O to 9;

another l0 to 19, and so on upto v99() to 999. By laying one strip offof each lot of the one hundred lots, a supply ofstrips will be had onhand, containing consecutive nun1- bers O0 to 999.

if the tags or cards being produced, are to. be in duplicate or intriplicate numbers on each tag or card, all it is necessaryto: do is toset two or three rows of the same numbers.y one under the other, asdesignated byV the numerals 2O and 25 in Figure 7 of the drawings, oneunder the other or one after the other, so that the duplicate ortriplicate numbers will appear in the desired place on each tag or card.

Any other printing desired, can of couise It also permits the same to beprinted with other figures in front ofthe previously printed gures, withbut one-tenth of the press work, which would be required if each numberswere on a separate piece, and it vavoids the endless task of gatheringup vthe numbers, but which is necessary if each tag or slipr wasseparate from one another. As stated, this forms an importantY featureof the invention. n Y

If an order is received for anumber of cards or tabs printedconsecutively, up to 10,000 the Jfollowing method can be advantageouslypursued. This method is shown in Figures 3 to 5 of the drawings and isalong the same lines as the method previously described, but forclearness the steps from start-to nish will be gone over.

First, o ne hundred sheets of stock paper or card board large enough tocontain ofY the tags or tabs printed, isi-out. Second, these sheets haveprinted thereon in numerical rotation numbers starting with 00 andending with 99 as indicated by the numeral 27. Thus it can be seen that100 of the stock sheets A will be formed. These numbers 27 should appearone under the other in columns of the numbers to form the tabs Vor tags,as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. Third the hundred basic sheetsthus printed, are divided into ten equal groups, of ten sheets each.Fourth, the digit 0 is printed in front of the number on each card ortab of one group of the -ten sheets as at 30.

Fifth, the digit kl is printed in front of the number' on each card ortab of the second group of ten 'sheets as at 35. This is continuedprinting 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 respectively, in front of eachnumber on the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninthandtenth groups respectively. These groups are designated respectivelyby the letters M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, and V in Figure 3 of thedrawings, and these correspond to the series of stock cards shown inFigure 2 of the drawings. Fifth, by gathering one sheet from each ofthese groups in proper rotation, a set of ten sheets will be had,containing one thousand cards or tags numbered from 000 to 999. Thisstack is laid aside, and another gathered like it, and this continueduntil a series of sets is thus formed. These sets are clearly shown inFigure 4 of the drawings, as designated by the letter W. Y f

j; digit 1 is printed in front of each num- Vformed, as clearly shown inFigure 5.

ber on each sheet of one set asiat 40, and ten sheets or a setcontaining 1000 tags or 'cards numbering from 1000 to 1999 wo-uld be Asecond set is then taken, and the digit 2 is placed in Vfrontofeachnumber, forming a second group of ten sheets containing 1000 tags orforms, numbering from`2000 to 2999. This performance-is repeated,printing 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 respectively, in front of each numberof each stack gathered, and eventually sheets containing 10000 cards ortags numbered from 0000 to 9,999 will be formed.

The one hundred sheets are then laid in one stack in proper rotation,that is the sheet 1i starting with the 000 on the top and continu- 9,999on the bottom. These sheets are then cut into strips and put together inproper rotation, so that the strips can be arranged in convenient formandV in numerical order. These strips, as heretobefore stated, `gcanthen be bound into tabs or books as may be desired. Y

I From the foregoing description, it can be seen that a novel method hasbeen provided, for permitting cards to be centered, in an economical andexpeditious manner, with consecutive numbers of any size type on anordinary printing press.

Changes in details `may be made without departing from the spirit orscope of this invention; but,

I claim:

1.. Those steps in the method of printing numerals in succession on anordinary printing press, consisting of taking a plurality ofsheets'containing a plurality of forms,`print ing consecutive digits inunits on the forms, taking different groups of the sheets and each groupof sheets before the digits previously formed, whereby numerals on thesheets of consecutive valuation, starting from units and terminating inthousands willbe formed.

2. Those steps in the method of printing Ynumerals in succession on anordinary printing press consisting of taking groups of nsheetscontainin'g a plurality of formsV having numerals printed thereonin consecutive rotation adjacent to the right hand portion thereof, saidnumerals on the groups or sheets starting with units and terminating atthe thousands, preiiXing the digits 1 in front of one group of thesheets, the digits 2 in front of the second group of the sheets, andcontinuously prefixing a digit of next successive valuation in front ofeach successive group or sheet to form numerals of consecutive valuationextending into the thousands.

3. Those steps in the method of printing numerals in succession on anordinary printprefiXing digits of consecutive valuations on Y gatheringu plurality of series of the sheets .iiitofgroups arranging each groupso lthat the numeals stai-. with O00 n one sheet and terminate with 999on the last Sheet, then preiXing digits Starting With l and increasingin Valuation up to and including A9 in front l5 of eacll'successivegroup` of sheets.

QVERTON W. vimNDERGAST.

